But then it faded, the reminder of Charlotte’s betrayal blowing the warmth from his chest as swiftly as a late autumn breeze ushered in the winter.
He’d been waiting for it, he realized. Waiting for her to mention the notebook and floor plans he’d taken from her bedroom. To spin some elaborate tale he was all too eager to accept.
He wanted her to prove him wrong. To prove him a fool for ever doubting her. To spin back the clock to those moments when he’d cradled her hand in that bed and saw the entirety of their lives together, one breathless kiss at a time.
But she hadn’t said a word.
Which meant she was either playing averytwisted game…
Or she had no idea she was about to walk into a minefield.
“Just get here, Charlotte.” Dorian closed his eyes, admonishing himself even before the words slipped free from his mouth. “And please… be careful.”
He ended the call and glanced up to find all three of the men watching him intently. Colin, merely curious. Aiden, his eyes narrowed with concern, as if he could sense the battle raging inside.
And Cole, the only one who knew what Dorian had discovered about his woman last night, smirking at him like that bloody phone conversation had just proven every last one of the wolf’s infuriating points.
I’ll tell you what, Red. That look in your eyes? That’s not the look of a man just out for a fuck…
Cole’s smirk turned into a full-on laugh, and Dorian stormed out to the elevator, telling himself Cole was dead wrong. That a fuck was all he truly wanted—all he’deverwanted from that woman. His cock, still stiff from the sound of her voice, seemed happy to agree.
If only his fucking heart wasn’t on fire, Dorian might’ve believed it too.
Chapter Eight
Despite a monumental amount of complaining from the so-called ruthless Redthorne Royal, Sasha got her way in the end, and Gabriel took them for an early lunch at a gourmet soup-and-salad café near Charley’s building—the first meal she’d been able to keep down all day.
The food perked her up, but the post-lunch ride to Ravenswood in Gabriel’s BMW was long and awkward, with Sasha happily chatting away from the backseat while Gabriel attempted to drown her out with the news radio. It was the same story on every channel—something about a raid at a popular nightclub in the East Village, resulting in a major drug and sex trafficking bust. Charley couldn’t imagine why he was so interested; she’d assumed vampires like Gabriel would be above the city’s human dramas.
Still, Charley would rather listen to the depressing news than try to make conversation with Dorian’s youngest brother. He’d never been particularly warm toward her—toward anyone, as far as she could tell—and the fact that he was suddenly following Dorian’s orders without pushback meant the situation was even more dangerous than she’d feared.
She would’ve preferred the Redthornes to be at each other’s throats again. That, at least, would’ve felt normal.
Normal.Right. Like being attacked by crazy vampires and demons was normal. Like being threatened by her uncle was normal. Like confessing to Dorian that she’d been plotting to steal from him was normal.
Nervous energy zipped through her limbs, and she fidgeted in the front seat, alternately pulling at threads at the hem of her sweater and wiping her damp palms on her jeans. She didn’t even have a phone to distract her now—another situation totally stressing her out. She’d have to see if Dorian had been back to his penthouse—maybe he’d picked up her purse. If not, she’d have to send Rudy a text from Sasha’s phone tomorrow. She didn’t want to risk going off the radar for more than a day—not after his antics this morning. Plus, she wanted him to know Dorian had invited her and Sasha for a visit; she planned to spin it as an opportunity to gather more intel and charm Dorian into the idea of a future family getaway. Maybe it would keep Rudy off her back a few extra days.
By the time they pulled into the manor’s circular drive, Charley’s nervous system was damn near shot. The only thing that kept her from completely falling apart was Sasha—the girl was over the moon at the sight of the manner, her slack-jawed appreciation of its size and grandeur making her look like a kid at Disney World.
“Holyballs,” she whispered, taking it all in as they got out of the car. Charley kept stealing glances at the front doors, hoping Dorian would emerge, but the only vampire who’d shown up to greet them was Aiden.
“Good afternoon, Ms. D’Amico,” he said with a cautious smile. “And this must be Sasha. Welcome to Ravenswood—we’re so glad you could join us.”
“This place is freaking amazing,” Sasha said, her megawatt smile brightening the gray day.
“Wait until you see the grounds,” Aiden said.
“Charley said there’s a pool?”
Aiden laughed. “Would you like the tour? I’m Aiden, by the way—friend of the family. I’d be happy to show you around, if it’s okay with you, Ms. D’Amico?”
Charley nodded, grateful for his kindness. Pressing a kiss to her sister’s cheek, she said, “I need to find Dorian. We’ll catch up with you in a few minutes, okay?”
“I’ll be fine,” Sasha said. Then, leaning in to whisper in Charley’s ear, “I’m officially mad at you for not warning me about the hotness level here. Had I known, I would’ve put a little more effort into my hair.”
Charley laughed and pulled her in for a hug, squeezing extra tight. “Behaveyourself, young lady.”
“I may be young, but I’m legal,” Sasha whispered, and with that, she twirled out of Charley’s embrace and headed for Aiden, looping her arm through his and following him along the path into the gardens.
